Pricing on NCL Has Gotten Outrageous

[njkate]

17 hours ago, JIMESOPUS said:

Harry Sommer on pricing - 

 

The arrogance astounds me! 

[pghflyer]

I thought he was fine, his job on a Bloomberg interview is to sell the stock and market how much margin/ profit the stock is making for potential shareholders. 

[Panhandle Couple]

50 minutes ago, njkate said:

The arrogance astounds me! 

And yet, I have seen the RCL CEO say similar things for several quarters in a row in 2023 on stock shows.  His basic summary was "we will keep increasing prices until the customer stops buying the product". 

[njkate]

1 minute ago, Panhandle Couple said:

And yet, I have seen the RCL CEO say similar things for several quarters in a row in 2023 on stock shows.  His basic summary was "we will keep increasing prices until the customer stops buying the product". 

I don’t follow RCL so wasn’t aware but that about sums it up. They will keep raising prices and cutting service until the consumer pushes back! I just found his attitude in that video brimming with arrogance

[cheersforbeers]

1 hour ago, njkate said:

The arrogance astounds me! 

We as consumers have the power. If one doesn’t like the cost don’t buy it. It’s not just cruising, it’s across the board. Fuel cost to get to destination, motels for 1 night to get there, food at each spot, parking once arrived, just to name a few costs.  We can’t blame just one faction. Costs have increased overall just to maintain existence!!! 

[Panhandle Couple]

In keeping with the thread title, we recently had a chat with our TA while pricing a future cruise.

 

We are looking a the holiday season in 2025 (16 months from now) and asked when we need to finalize plans for best pricing.  Her answer was "tomorrow".  

She then gave us 2 recent examples of other long term customers, and what they paid for a short term booking.  Both were booking several rooms, which is what we are looking for.

(cruise lines, ships and dates not included on purpose, all non-NCL, but equivalent)

 

First was a simple 4 day cruise, less than 90 days out, 3 regular balcony rooms.  $9,000.  She recommended not buying the cruise, as she could find better deals, but that one fit the customer dates and locations, and they bought it.

 

Second was a long term customer who always uses the top rooms available (Haven or similar) and generally get 2 or 3 rooms.  This quote was for a regular 7 day cruise, 6 months out (this holiday season) for 3 top suites.  I won't give the price she said, but...you could buy a couple SUV's for what it cost (with maybe some $$ change).  The customer booked the rooms, but final payment is still pending.

 

I haven't looked for similar NCL cruises to these, but some people don't flinch at these prices and just book them.  We certainly wouldn't, but those who do keep all the prices high.

 

[pghflyer]

yup pricing is going up until they start sailing with empty cabins.....as Taylor Swift said "it's me, I, I'm the problem, it's me"

[kasimir]

1 hour ago, Panhandle Couple said:

I haven't looked for similar NCL cruises to these, but some people don't flinch at these prices and just book them.  We certainly wouldn't, but those who do keep all the prices high.

 

And that is exactly the problem, as long as there are enough people paying for inflated prices with reduced service, those companies will keep raising prices. And honestly I don't blame them, the problem is only the cost of upsetting your loyal customers to the point that they start looking elsewhere and potentially losing them is difficult to quantify! 

 

And honestly if it would be the increasing prices only, I think most of us wouldn't complain and just accept the reality, but the NCL product has taken a significant dip in quality across the board which is leaving a very taste for us. 

So if we now need to travel with a premium line (like Celebrity) to receive that level of quality that NCL offered 5-6 years (for similar pricing), we will do so. 

Keep in mind, my wife and myself are in a working age (late 30s/early 40s) and we would love to take 10 cruises per year, but our annual vacation days are very limited, so every day counts to us. 

[Travelling2Some]

45 minutes ago, kasimir said:

our annual vacation days are very limited, so every day counts to us. 

We used to be in that demographic (retired now). My husband had a very demanding job and we had a big family.  On the rare times we could get away, just the two of us together, price was NO issue.  Now we have plenty of time but are more frugal because we're always on vacation anyway. 

[graphicguy]

All the cruise lines are all saying the exact same thing.  No surprises with Sommer's interview.

 

If you want to fish in the "blue light special" pond, there are cruise lines who cater to that demographic (Margaritaville comes immediately to mind).  But, NCL and the rest of her competition is not that.

 

Personally, I would be hard pressed to find a 7 nite vacation in a nice hotel room, with a choice of restaurants, with the vast majority of drinks included, entertainment within a 5 minute walk of your door, with views of exotic locales, that usually change every day, for what a cruise costs.

 

I have friends who quiz me about cruise cost all the time as they know I enjoy it.  Have said before, don't sail during "high season".

 

Sail when school is in session.  Families don't pull their kids out of school to cruise (at least they probably shouldn't).  

 

Sail to Alaska at the very beginning of the season and the very end of the season.  The weather turns during those times and it's not as "nice" as it would be during the summer months.

 

Sail the Bahamas.  Every mainstream cruise line sails in the Bahamas, so competition is fierce.  Same goes for Cozumel/Cancun.

 

Sail at least 7 nites.  Shorter cruises tend to cost more per nite than the longer ones.

 

Sail on the cruise lines' oldest ships.  They're typically less expensive than sailing on their newest ships.

 

If you really want to cruise on a budget, don't buy the drink packages.  Don't buy the specialty dining packages.  Only drink the water, juices and coffees and eat the food they have in the buffet and MDRs.

 

Don't shop in the shops on board.  GTY cabins are available.  They are the cheapest on the ships.  Look for those.

 

The above is true on any cruise line.

 

But, if you decide you're only going to cruise on any given week or month, at it's high season, and you absolutely have to have a balcony (although I find it pretty easy to find deals on balconies with NCL), you have to sail on the newest ships, you have to have Free at Sea Plus, you have to have internet access, etc.  You're going to pay more.  Again, this is true of ALL cruise lines.  You either pay for it in higher fares, or via add ons to your "cheaper" fare.

 

Finally, shop, shop, shop.  I shop fares every week.  As an example, there are some GREAT NCL fares on TA cruises on NCL's Encore this coming December right now (or at least were last week).  Encore is part of NCL's biggest and "newest" Breakaway Plus ships.  

 

If you are aghast at any cruise line's fares, adjust your parameters just a bit, and you'll find deals on ALL of. them.

[ChiefMateJRK]

4 hours ago, graphicguy said:

The weather turns during those times and it's not as "nice" as it would be during the summer months.

I believe that you are correct as a general statement.  That said, I had nicer weather in AK the first week in May this year than I did in July/August.  I've been to AK on cruises in April, May, July, August, September and October.  I've never felt like there was any meaningful difference in the weather.  Last April, the first week on the ship was great weather, rain the second week (when you were on the ship).  It's just a roll of the dice, with rain being a bigger variable than temperature.  I did have snow in Glacier bay in October 2021.  That was GREAT!!☃️

[graphicguy]

37 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

I believe that you are correct as a general statement.  That said, I had nicer weather in AK the first week in May this year than I did in July/August.  I've been to AK on cruises in April, May, July, August, September and October.  I've never felt like there was any meaningful difference in the weather.  Last April, the first week on the ship was great weather, rain the second week (when you were on the ship).  It's just a roll of the dice, with rain being a bigger variable than temperature.  I did have snow in Glacier bay in October 2021.  That was GREAT!!☃️

Agree entirely.  

 

Weather can't be predicted.  What I do know, it's easier to get a "deal" on a cruise fare during the times people believe the weather "might be bad".

 

Some other times to look at fares for deals (on all cruise lines)....

 

-Hurricane season in the Bahamas or the Caribbean

-late October for New England and Canadian cruises

-April and October for Alaskan cruises

 

Other ways to find cruise deals..

 

-repositioning cruises (embarking at the origination port, but disembarking at the end of the cruise at a different port)

-right before a ship's dry dock

 

 

And, last rule of thumb...."find a cruise and a fare you like, then plan your vacation around that".  Not vice versa.

 

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

11 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

And, last rule of thumb...."find a cruise and a fare you like, then plan your vacation around that".  Not vice versa.

 

I thought the rule of thumb is...find fun people to travel with and plan your own travels to coincide with theirs at any cost...as those memories would be priceless.

 

[ChiefMateJRK]

25 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

-April and October for Alaskan cruises

This is my play.  IIRC, I have April and October AK B2B's booked for both 2025 and 2026.  If I find something more attractive, I'll do a swap, but this is my baseline and I'm sticking with it! 😎

[debenson0723]

8 minutes ago, Sugar Magnolia said:

 

I thought the rule of thumb is...find fun people to travel with and plan your own travels to coincide with theirs at any cost...as those memories would be priceless.

 

That's what I do! Sometimes it's not about the money. See you in 80 days.

[Sugar Magnolia]

3 minutes ago, debenson0723 said:

That's what I do! Sometimes it's not about the money. See you in 80 days.

Wait…that’s not what I meant. 
 

[graphicguy]

50 minutes ago, Sugar Magnolia said:

 

I thought the rule of thumb is...find fun people to travel with and plan your own travels to coincide with theirs at any cost...as those memories would be priceless.

 

Post of the month....thank you!

 

 

[DavidOrawan]

Looked for cruise Eastern Caribbean Oct 2025.

New ship from RCCL and NCL

Icon of seas 5052.92 no extras

Aqua 4010.64 includes drinks, 2 specialty dinners and 150 min wifi

 

 

[JamieLogical]

28 minutes ago, DavidOrawan said:

Looked for cruise Eastern Caribbean Oct 2025.

New ship from RCCL and NCL

Icon of seas 5052.92 no extras

Aqua 4010.64 includes drinks, 2 specialty dinners and 150 min wifi

 

 

 

You left out a LOT of other cruise lines in your research....

[DavidOrawan]

25 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

 

You left out a LOT of other cruise lines in your research....

Alpt of comparisons are of RCCL and NCL

 

Carnival 2350 nothing included not ports I would want to visit, how much for unlimited drinks and 2 specialty restaurants?

 

Celebrity 3805 with drink package but not the newest ship and not sure celebrity is our style?

 

Virgin 4854 no drink package. 

 

Princess had older ships so nothing there.

 

[debenson0723]

4 hours ago, Sugar Magnolia said:

Wait…that’s not what I meant. 
 

Oh, now I see how you are. Gonna call you Wilted Magnolia going forward (among other things NSFCC). 😉

[JamieLogical]

1 hour ago, DavidOrawan said:

Alpt of comparisons are of RCCL and NCL

 

Carnival 2350 nothing included not ports I would want to visit, how much for unlimited drinks and 2 specialty restaurants?

 

Celebrity 3805 with drink package but not the newest ship and not sure celebrity is our style?

 

Virgin 4854 no drink package. 

 

Princess had older ships so nothing there.

 

 

MSC World America will be brand new (launches in April) and sails out of Miami to Eastern Caribbean on October 11 and 25 of 2025. Have you priced that out?

[DavidOrawan]

2 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

 

MSC World America will be brand new (launches in April) and sails out of Miami to Eastern Caribbean on October 11 and 25 of 2025. Have you priced that out?

It has a terrible itinerary for eastern carribean but yes in order to compare it was about 3300. We are doing an MSC cruise in Nov so see if it compares to the other lines we have been on. 

[EllieinNJ]

9 hours ago, DavidOrawan said:

Looked for cruise Eastern Caribbean Oct 2025.

New ship from RCCL and NCL

Icon of seas 5052.92 no extras

Aqua 4010.64 includes drinks, 2 specialty dinners and 150 min wifi

 

 

Sun Princess 7 nights DD Balcony with Princess Plus (free drinks, free unlimited wifi, free grats, 2 casual dining meals, 2 special desserts each day, 2 fitness classes and free room service $3190 for two people 11/30/25.

[DavidOrawan]

2 hours ago, EllieinNJ said:

Sun Princess 7 nights DD Balcony with Princess Plus (free drinks, free unlimited wifi, free grats, 2 casual dining meals, 2 special desserts each day, 2 fitness classes and free room service $3190 for two people 11/30/25.

Except not looking for last week of Nov.

I got 3558 if picking room 

Also only San Juan and St Thomas + private Island guess not as bad as MSC but it's Nov not Oct like the other quotes.