The most screwed up computer system or a rip-off?

[Slyfox16]

We are looking at taking a cruise before the end of the year and on NCL's site, it has a promotion listed for that trip. When I go to the "find a cruise" part, it comes up with the same promo price for a balcony but for the mini-suite it was OVER $200 LESS doing it this way. Am I missing something? Shouldn't you be able to get the best price with a promo code or at least the same price on NCL's own site?

Do you think there is a problem with the way the system is programed or is it something more than that? If I hadn't bothered to check it both ways, it would have cost $200 more for the mini-suite.

[smeyer418]

anything is possible. It could be a mistake or it can be accurate.

[Globaliser]

Shouldn't you be able to get the best price with a promo code or at least the same price on NCL's own site?

I don't know why you'd necessarily expect this. A promotional code should get you the price that the promotion promises. But very few promotions promise you that this is the lowest price that you can get that product for. There are plenty of situations in all walks of life in which using a certain promotion will not actually get you the lowest price; I don't see why cruises should be any different.

[Slyfox16]

When you are on NCL's site, why shouldn't you expect the lowest price, when it says "special promotion"? It isn't logical that that the regular, non-promotional side, would give you the lower price. A lot of people would assume they were getting the best price from the promo side, not be a natural sceptic, and lose out.

[ocngypz]

This is happening because the system will pull the best fare code for each category separately.

 

As an agent, I go through it all the time.

 

Here's a crazy example. Client is Latititudes. Want's the cheapest inside cabin. Usually books gty's.

 

If I use Pity the Procrastinator and combine with Latititudes.. great.. they get an upgrade to a Cat II for the same price as the Cat K. BUT.....they pay $40 more dollars per person than if I drop the PTP promo and just give them a straight Latitudes rate on the Cat K.

 

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

 

It's like working with jigsaw puzzles sometimes.

[Globaliser]

A lot of people would assume they were getting the best price from the promo side, not be a natural sceptic, and lose out.

Assumptions are always dangerous when doing a business transaction!