NCL Free at Sea Promo - What Airline Were you booked on?

[reeinaz]

2 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

Here's the thing: there is so much variety in terms of how different cruise lines price their cabins + extras, it can be very difficult to make an apples-to-apples comparison. NCL is, for the most part, pretty straightforward: you book your cabin category, choose your location (aft, forward, midship) and then decide if you want the FAS items. You might want the BOGO airfare, too. Or not. When I've tried to research cruises on Royal Caribbean, they have multiple options just for the balcony cabins. Because in addition to the category and location, you have to say whether you want a balcony cabin facing the ocean or the balcony cabin facing the promenade. Gee, here I was thinking a balcony automatically means one that faces the sea. Silly me! I've seen similar nonsense with Princess, where you have 3 different options (Good, Better, Best) within the same cabin class depending on which "extras" you want. Costa cruises does something similar. Furthermore, NCL's free drinks package may not seem "free" because of the gratuities, but I can tell you from experience, I'd rather pay that than the $55 pppd we paid on Carnival or a similar amount on Royal. Oh, and if you think the cabins on those other lines cost less to cushion the blow of those drinks packages, think again. They cost the same or more. My view is always, always, always look at the "bottom line." Our TA has, in the past, put together an Excel spreadsheet showing the price of the cabin, drinks package, daily service charge, port fees, etc. for each line and each cruise so we could make a good comparison among lines. And for us, NCL is pretty competitive in terms of price. (MSC is also very competitive)

Totally agree. Also with RC, the price varies on if you want a refundable deposit or not and the drink package seems to have dynamic pricing, so you always have to keep checking to see if the current price is less than you paid.

[DCGuy64]

8 minutes ago, reeinaz said:

Totally agree. Also with RC, the price varies on if you want a refundable deposit or not and the drink package seems to have dynamic pricing, so you always have to keep checking to see if the current price is less than you paid.

A good point there on the drinks package. RCI sometimes has discounts, I think we pulled the trigger when they offered it at 30% off. Which reminds me of something else: Since the UBP on NCL is basically $100 per day plus the gratuity, you might think that the price differential between a cabin WITH FAS and one without might be $700 for a 7-day cruise (7 x $100 = $700). But it's not. When I've looked at fares, there's usually no more than $200-300 difference (if that) between cabins with FAS and without. It's my belief that NCL builds that cost into the cabin from the start, which is yet one more incentive to get it.

Edited August 7, 2023 by DCGuy64

[luv2cruise523]

5 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

No. We did look at that one, but decided we just wanted to fly one time. We're on the 11/20 - 12/1 Transatlantic form BCN to NYC. 

 

Are you cruising on the 11/1? Have a wonderful time exploring the Med if you are!

Yes, first time, for a Med cruise.

Edited August 7, 2023 by luv2cruise523
error

[RocketMan275]

4 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

A good point there on the drinks package. RCI sometimes has discounts, I think we pulled the trigger when they offered it at 30% off. Which reminds me of something else: Since the UBP on NCL is basically $100 per day plus the gratuity, you might think that the price differential between a cabin WITH FAS and one without might be $700 for a 7-day cruise (7 x $100 = $700). But it's not. When I've looked at fares, there's usually no more than $200-300 difference (if that) between cabins with FAS and without. It's my belief that NCL builds that cost into the cabin from the start, which is yet one more incentive to get it.

Or the difference may reflect the cost of the package to NCL versus the price NCL charges the customer.

[Ken the cruiser]

The issue we have with NCL Air was with our return Dec 2022 flight from Cape Town back to Atlanta after a 38-day B2B from Athens to Cape Town by way of Dubai. The Delta flight from Atlanta to Athens on our way to the cruise was booked in the Main Cabin seating area which was fine. However, our 8,000 mile 16-hour flight back from Cape Town to Atlanta was booked in a Delta Basic Economy "standby middle seat" category, which was totally unacceptable. Not only were we not allowed to get seat assignments until 5 days prior to departure, we did not get the Delta FF miles for those 8000 miles.

 

Luckily, we contacted Delta within 24 hours of NCL ticketing the return flight, so we could pay a few extra $$ to get seats together. However, if we were to have waited a few days more before calling Delta, we would have been denied that option and would have had to wait for our "middle seat" assignments where in all likelihood we would not have been seated together for that return flight.

 

Needless to say that's the last time we use NCL Air to book a flight for us, free or not.

[step78]

Why is there not one european airline? (i'm here using cruisecritic.co.uk) NCL books us always on Lufthansa, Swiss and Aegan

Edited August 8, 2023 by step78

[JeanKC]

7 minutes ago, step78 said:

Why is there not one european airline? (i'm here using cruisecritic.co.uk) NCL books us always on Lufthansa, Swiss and Aegan

I'd imagine because the OP is in the US and so has not considered that she may also be put on european airlines, of if she is, it is likely that they would be code-share with US airlines. 

[SALAMANCA2014]

On 8/4/2023 at 8:55 AM, Hunny15602 said:

Hi everyone, trying to get some info from anyone who has recently utilized the Free at Sea program where you buy airfare for the first guest and the second guest flies free.  I foolishly assumed that I would have SOME choice, which has been the case when booking w/other cruise lines, but apparently not the case w/NCL.  I have one person in my party who doesn't like to fly, needs a fair amount of medication to get on a plane, and absolutely refuses to fly airlines like Frontier, Spirit and Allegiant.

 

I'm still 4 months away from the cruise, and the prospect of waiting another 30-60 days before NCL assigns us our flights is not a great prospect, since I may need to buy my own flights now anyway.  Or potentially drive to the pier, which is an 8-10 hour drive, but possibly a better option.  

 

Please complete the poll, and if you have any hacks or tricks to share, I'm all ears!  My TA is aware, but doesn't have much info to provide.  Thank you.

Norwegian Sky October 2, 2023 Quebec City to Baltimore

LAX to Quebec City Air Canada. DCA to LAX Alaska Air. 

[SALAMANCA2014]

On 8/4/2023 at 4:29 PM, julig22 said:

Contact Katty Byrd (kbyrd...ncl.com). Unfortunately, seems like they have bots sorting the email, so you might not get past the gatekeepers but it's worth a try.

I was once able to change my gateway 1 day after the booking deadline at that time, using a similar argument, although in my case the option to choose a deviation was still open. Probably doesn't hurt to acknowledge that you know it's against policy but you would be forever grateful if they could pleeeeze help you out!!

Thank you for your help. Deviation granted cost $30.00 per person

[SoloAlaska]

On 8/7/2023 at 8:29 AM, DCGuy64 said:

I agree with this. If one drinks even 1-2 drinks per day, the cost of the gratuities is marginal. We're talking $22/day and the cocktails I like are at least $12 a pop before 20% gratuity is added. (Remember, even people without a drinks package who pay as they go, are required to pay gratuity each time). Only complete teetotalers won't benefit from this, unless they drink soda (which is of course ALSO covered under the UBP).

As someone who doesn’t drink soda at all and is going on a 15 night TA the FAS drinks didn’t make sense for me. I don’t plan to drink daily so when I do it will be less expensive to pay as I go than the cost of gratuities. Definitely not a teetotaler

 

Now the drinks package on Celebrity will be used to it’s fullest on an upcoming trip but it also includes bottled water and specialty coffees. The NCL package just doesn’t cover what I’ll be drinking most of the time.

[Ken the cruiser]

9 minutes ago, SoloAlaska said:

As someone who doesn’t drink soda at all and is going on a 15 night TA the FAS drinks didn’t make sense for me. I don’t plan to drink daily so when I do it will be less expensive to pay as I go than the cost of gratuities. Definitely not a teetotaler

 

Now the drinks package on Celebrity will be used to it’s fullest on an upcoming trip but it also includes bottled water and specialty coffees. The NCL package just doesn’t cover what I’ll be drinking most of the time.

Have you checked out the new FAS Plus package implemented last month for $49 pp/day after paying the $21 pp/day for the FAS beverage gratuities?

 

Edited August 16, 2023 by Ken the cruiser

[Cruisewilm]

We are using NCL BOGO air from NC for RT transatlantic flights.  Got a combination of United, Air Canada and Delta.

[DCGuy64]

9 hours ago, SoloAlaska said:

As someone who doesn’t drink soda at all and is going on a 15 night TA the FAS drinks didn’t make sense for me. I don’t plan to drink daily so when I do it will be less expensive to pay as I go than the cost of gratuities. Definitely not a teetotaler

 

Now the drinks package on Celebrity will be used to it’s fullest on an upcoming trip but it also includes bottled water and specialty coffees. The NCL package just doesn’t cover what I’ll be drinking most of the time.

If you drink no soda and only drink alcohol lightly, the UBP isn't for you, but I would submit that you're very much in the minority on the ship. My comment was for the vast majority of people who do drink sodas and/or cocktails/wine/beer. Having said that, I wish NCL would include bottled water and specialty coffee like some other lines do. But I despise that over-roasted Star$ and we just fill our own water bottles anywhere on the ship, so these are minor concerns for us.

[reeinaz]

9 hours ago, SoloAlaska said:

As someone who doesn’t drink soda at all and is going on a 15 night TA the FAS drinks didn’t make sense for me. I don’t plan to drink daily so when I do it will be less expensive to pay as I go than the cost of gratuities. Definitely not a teetotaler

 

Now the drinks package on Celebrity will be used to it’s fullest on an upcoming trip but it also includes bottled water and specialty coffees. The NCL package just doesn’t cover what I’ll be drinking most of the time.

Just keep in mind the sea days. Even if you don't drink every day, the math still might make sense when you average it out to include the 18%(I think that's what it is) gratuity for each drink purchased.

[reeinaz]

15 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

If you drink no soda and only drink alcohol lightly, the UBP isn't for you, but I would submit that you're very much in the minority on the ship. My comment was for the vast majority of people who do drink sodas and/or cocktails/wine/beer. Having said that, I wish NCL would include bottled water and specialty coffee like some other lines do. But I despise that over-roasted Star$ and we just fill our own water bottles anywhere on the ship, so these are minor concerns for us.

MSC drink packages include specialty coffees and bottled water (I get acqua panna). All the bars have espresso machines. I never drink as much coffee as I do as when I'm on MSC. I'm not a coffee drinker either. But when in Rome... or at least on an Italian ship....

[DCGuy64]

10 minutes ago, reeinaz said:

MSC drink packages include specialty coffees and bottled water (I get acqua panna). All the bars have espresso machines. I never drink as much coffee as I do as when I'm on MSC. I'm not a coffee drinker either. But when in Rome... or at least on an Italian ship....

MSC has GREAT Italian coffee. I think they use Segafredo on there. As long as it's Italian (Lavazza, Illy, Segafredo, etc.), I'm a happy camper. 😄 If NCL started having Italian coffee again, I'd pay for Premium+. Apparently, they used to serve Lavazza but discontinued it in favor of the Seattle-based behemoth.

Edited August 16, 2023 by DCGuy64

[SoloAlaska]

1 hour ago, DCGuy64 said:

If you drink no soda and only drink alcohol lightly, the UBP isn't for you, but I would submit that you're very much in the minority on the ship. My comment was for the vast majority of people who do drink sodas and/or cocktails/wine/beer. Having said that, I wish NCL would include bottled water and specialty coffee like some other lines do. But I despise that over-roasted Star$ and we just fill our own water bottles anywhere on the ship, so these are minor concerns for us.

Completely agree. For me it depends on the trip. My TA is a solo writing retreat so I’ll be working throughout the cruise and want a clear mind. My trip to Alaska I won’t be solo and I’ll be drinking 2-5 drinks a day plus coffee and water (included since it’s celebrity). 
 

Give me a good European coffee over the over roasted stuff any day. Thankfully I have several European ports where I plan to be drinking my share of espresso along the way. 

[Sailing12Away]

18 hours ago, SoloAlaska said:

As someone who doesn’t drink soda at all and is going on a 15 night TA the FAS drinks didn’t make sense for me. I don’t plan to drink daily so when I do it will be less expensive to pay as I go than the cost of gratuities. Definitely not a teetotaler

 

Now the drinks package on Celebrity will be used to it’s fullest on an upcoming trip but it also includes bottled water and specialty coffees. The NCL package just doesn’t cover what I’ll be drinking most of the time.

There's also a coffee only package option. So if you want 2-3 fancy mocha frappa latte chinos, that may be a good option for something you're actually going to use. $13/day - I have no idea how much those foo-foo drinks cost.

 

https://www.ncl.com/onboard-packages/beverage-packages

[PhillyTravelBug]

We were booked on Jet Blue and Iceland air.   On the way back we are booked on air Canada.

[NCMtnBoys]

We used BOGO air for the first time for our upcoming September cruise on Jade from Athens. Our flights were booked with Virgin Atlantic routing us from Charlotte to JFK to Athens, but the flights are operated by Delta. On the return, the flights were booked with United routing us from Athens to Toronto to Charlotte, but the flights are operated by Air Canada.

[SALAMANCA2014]

11 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

If you drink no soda and only drink alcohol lightly, the UBP isn't for you, but I would submit that you're very much in the minority on the ship. My comment was for the vast majority of people who do drink sodas and/or cocktails/wine/beer. Having said that, I wish NCL would include bottled water and specialty coffee like some other lines do. But I despise that over-roasted Star$ and we just fill our own water bottles anywhere on the ship, so these are minor concerns for us.

My last cruise on Princess I enter a bid to upgrade to a Suite. The bid was accepted and I was assigned a Suite. The refrigerator was stock with soda, beer and water. On top of the refrigerator there were about a dozen miniature bottle of liquor. There is no restocking once all the beverages were gone. I purchased two cases of water before the cruise. I received the first package on the first day of a cruise. I received a second package mid-cruise. I also received to bottle of water each day of the cruise. I didn't buy any mixed drink or buy any coffee drinks.

 

[chiefy_mom]

On 8/4/2023 at 2:07 PM, Hunny15602 said:

I'm 119 days out as of today, so at worst, I'll need to wait 29-59 days before knowing for sure.  I've got a rental car reserved too, so that's probably going to be my contingency for the outbound if airfare becomes crazy.

We received our flights 30 days out from our cruise - so at worst you are 90 days out from knowing for sure.

[brer111]

Received our flights for our October Rome cruise - 

 

Phoenix-Washington Dulles-Rome  Brussels Airlines 

Rome - Atlanta - Phoenix  KLM

[CruiserJ03]

NCL BOGO air from HNL for RT transatlantic flights with locator number issued around 60d out.

Departure leg with Delta and codeshare Virgin Atlantic to LHR.

Return Swiss Air and United from BCN.

 

If flying across the US you will be booked on a red eye. Generally you take what you get, but I have been able to:

• Select seats and pay to upgrade on US based carriers (Delta, UA, AA)
• Requested a change from NCL when an international layover exceeded 5 hrs
• Pay to change a flight if the airline initiates a schedule change.

 

You can review their service standards here: https://www.ncl.com/air-service-standards

If flight control matters to you they have a contact number where you can pay to make choices and upgrades.

 

NCL states that they partner with the following airlines, but can book with anyone: Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, Swiss International Air Lines, United Airlines, Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, SAS Scandinavian Airlines, Norwegian Air Shuttle and Norwegian Air International Ltd., Icelandair, Condor, Alitalia, Vueling, Iberia, British Airways, LATAM Airlines, Sky Airline Chile, Turkish Airlines, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Virgin Australia, Thai Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Air New Zealand.

[cruiseny4life]

We're on the Pr1ma Transatlantic from Barcelona to NYC that starts on 11/20. We requested a two day deviation so we can explore a bit of Barcelona before cruising. Miraculously (thank you NCL!) we received our flight information last night - that's 96 days ahead of the cruise. YAY!

 

We're flying Delta from SYR to JFK, then Air France from JFK to CDG and on to BCN. We leave around 1 PM on 11/17, arriving at about 9 AM on 11/18. That'll give us almost two full days to explore Barcelona...jet lagged and all. I'm so glad we booked a Transatlantic! After our first full day on the ship in Cartegena, we'll have a few days of blessed relaxation. I have a feeling I won't be sleeping much until we're steaming ahead to the Azores...I know ships don't steam. But steaming sounds better than dieseling. 

 

We have a somewhat short layover at CDG that I'm not crazy about, but otherwise I'm in love with our flights! Tomorrow, we'll be selecting our seats, probably upgrading to Air France's "duo" seats so we don't have someone else in the row with us. Plenty of space on the plane right now to upgrade to anything, though it appears we are unable to upgrade to business/first class due to the terms of our ticket. I'm ok with that! We also receive one personal item, one carry on item, and one checked bag included in our fare and whatever meals they serve (we're not sure if it'll be breakfast or dinner). 

 

We paid $600 for the NCL BOGO Air. The same itinerary is currently priced at $1,850 for two, so I'd say we saved a good chunk of change by choosing NCL's air option. 

 

Again, thank you NCL for making me a happy cruising flyer!