Why are NCL's prices so much higher than everyone else?

[tjbarney]

We love NCL and are looking to book our next cruise to the Caribbean. On our last NCL cruise we did the program where we pre-paid our next cruise's deposit. We also have our $500 cruise reward certificate we need to use. So we have to book NCL, but still want the best price as possible. As I am looking at all the Caribbean cruises, NCL is at least $200 per person higher than Carnival, RCL, etc. I am just wondering why? We have gone on many cruises and always try to get the best deal as possible, but NCL might be forcing us to leave them :(.

[newmexicoNita]

We love NCL and are looking to book our next cruise to the Caribbean. On our last NCL cruise we did the program where we pre-paid our next cruise's deposit. We also have our $500 cruise reward certificate we need to use. So we have to book NCL, but still want the best price as possible. As I am looking at all the Caribbean cruises, NCL is at least $200 per person higher than Carnival, RCL, etc. I am just wondering why? We have gone on many cruises and always try to get the best deal as possible, but NCL might be forcing us to leave them :(.

Are you looking at similar itineraries and the same catagory of ships? I am a little shocked at this as I have never seen NCL higher than both of those you mentioned. I am not saying it isn't true, of course it is or you wouldn't say it, but I am just totally shocked...I would guess it has to do with ship class.

 

Nita

[Dolphins]

Compare the seven day New York/ Bermuda cruises in 2010 between the Norwegian Dawn and HAL's Veendam. For a balcony cabin during the same week, you will find the Dawn's prices about $1,000. less. I had planned a back to back on these two ships but was shocked to see how much more expensive Veendam was.

[dtiger]

I find NCLs prices among the lowest offered.

[CruisnGram]

As I am looking at all the Caribbean cruises, NCL is at least $200 per person higher than Carnival, RCL, etc. I am just wondering why? We have gone on many cruises and always try to get the best deal as possible, but NCL might be forcing us to leave them :(.

 

Uh, I don't know where you are looking, but this is the total opposite of what I have found. You need to search around more. Sorry we can't help more but it is against CC policy to mention or suggest any particular agent.

 

CG

[tjbarney]

Are you looking at similar itineraries and the same catagory of ships? I am a little shocked at this as I have never seen NCL higher than both of those you mentioned. I am not saying it isn't true, of course it is or you wouldn't say it, but I am just totally shocked...I would guess it has to do with ship class.

 

Nita

 

Yes, similar itineraries and ships. We are looking to go eastern or southern carib this next cruise. We are looking at cruising dates between Aug 2009 and 1st of Nov. 2009. Maybe I've just lost my touch at finding the good deals? LOL :confused:

[CruisinEurope]

Yes, similar itineraries and ships. We are looking to go eastern or southern carib this next cruise. We are looking at cruising dates between Aug 2009 and 1st of Nov. 2009. Maybe I've just lost my touch at finding the good deals? LOL :confused:

 

sailing out of where and for how long?

[tjbarney]

Uh, I don't know where you are looking, but this is the total opposite of what I have found. You need to search around more.

 

CG

 

Where do you suggest I search then?

[tjbarney]

sailing out of where and for how long?

 

7 nights and I don't care where we sail out of as we are in Oklahoma and have to fly no matter where we go out of. Would probably be Miami since we are looking eastern carib.

[mpk218]

7 nights and I don't care where we sail out of as we are in Oklahoma and have to fly no matter where we go out of. Would probably be Miami since we are looking eastern carib.

 

Now you've done it !! You have released the search hounds :eek:

You are about to get more answers than you will know what to do with :D

 

mpk

[Firemaker]

We got a great discount for being a Union member. I know they give military discounts too. We also got OBC for paying with American Express.

[tjbarney]

We don't have kids so it is just my husband and I and we aren't military or union so we don't get to take advantage of those offers.

[dtracker]

We love NCL and are looking to book our next cruise to the Caribbean. On our last NCL cruise we did the program where we pre-paid our next cruise's deposit. We also have our $500 cruise reward certificate we need to use. So we have to book NCL, but still want the best price as possible. As I am looking at all the Caribbean cruises, NCL is at least $200 per person higher than Carnival, RCL, etc. I am just wondering why? We have gone on many cruises and always try to get the best deal as possible, but NCL might be forcing us to leave them :(.

 

Hi, TJ.

What we did when we started looking for cruises was ask all of our friends and work acquaintances who cruise often, who they book with. Since they had spent years looking for the best agents, they turned me on to one who is $$$ less than most travel agents or on line agencies. You might also try TAs in the Yellow Pages that ONLY book cruises and nothing else. Sorry we can't mention our TA, but once you find the right one, they're like GOLD! Saved us thousands of dollars.

 

Duane

[terrymtex01]

I may be wrong here, but OP I think another issue maybe you are looking at prices for the cruise online (looking at both NCL and other lines) and then calling NCL and they are higher. NCL sets the prices for their cruises. If you find online ta's that are offering them at a lower price, they are giving up something, commission, or have pre-booked x number of rooms already, etc etc. But the price NCL quotes you is the actual price of the cruise. If you are wanting to book through a TA, then compare TA prices with TA prices. If you are wanting to book directly with the cruiseline, you have to look at each cruiselines web site's prices. That is the only way to make a fair judgement of the price. If you are wanting to book with NCL directly because of your certs but don't care if you book with a TA or directly with another cruiseline for the other cruiselines, then you will probably not find NCL cheaper than anyone. You just can not compare a cruiselines web site prices to a TA's prices. In other words, when you are looking at prices of a cruise at a online TA's web site, you are not really comparing cruiseline prices to cruiseline prices, you are comparing what discounts the online TA is giving. I don't know if that makes sense how I am trying to explain it, just trying to help.

[luv that cruise]

You want to talk about pricing... compare 2010 baltic prices between disney and NCL! Disney is quite a bit higher. We are doing our first NCL this summer and hope we love it!

[Arwenmark]

To the OP are you including your past guest information in the questions pre-quote? the nine day I just booked with NCL was $150 less pp just by adding the Latitudes number.

 

I have found however that NCL is routinely less than other lines with similiar sailings.

 

Also you have given a range of time and location, you need to compare apples to apples.

[Dukegirl5577]

I've only once found NCL to be more expensive for a similar itinerary on a similar sail date, and that was when Princess was running their 2-for-1 deal for Alaska. Needless to say, Princess was quite a bit less then! :D

 

But for pretty much everything else, I've generally found NCL to be either LESS or about the same price. Yes, less than Carnival even.

[dalgirl]

My experience is $Carnival, $$NCL, $$$RCCL. The newer ships will usually cost more, and the time of year will cost more. But prices for everyone is down now -- if only the airlines would get on the bandwagon I would cruise 3 or 4 times this year:p

[brunolvr]

We love NCL and are looking to book our next cruise to the Caribbean. On our last NCL cruise we did the program where we pre-paid our next cruise's deposit. We also have our $500 cruise reward certificate we need to use. So we have to book NCL, but still want the best price as possible. As I am looking at all the Caribbean cruises, NCL is at least $200 per person higher than Carnival, RCL, etc. I am just wondering why? We have gone on many cruises and always try to get the best deal as possible, but NCL might be forcing us to leave them :(.

 

Hi, tjbarney! Hey, Julie, this is your friend from the wonderful 5/25/2008 cruise to Alaska on the Pearl! Thanks again for being so generous with your Oklahoma state quarters! That was very nice of you!:)

 

Drop me an email at brunolvr@hotmail.com!

[CC Help Michell]

We love NCL and are looking to book our next cruise to the Caribbean. On our last NCL cruise we did the program where we pre-paid our next cruise's deposit. We also have our $500 cruise reward certificate we need to use. So we have to book NCL, but still want the best price as possible. As I am looking at all the Caribbean cruises, NCL is at least $200 per person higher than Carnival, RCL, etc. I am just wondering why? We have gone on many cruises and always try to get the best deal as possible, but NCL might be forcing us to leave them :(.

 

I can honestly say I've never seen that statement before, nor found it to be true when researching my cruises! Among the mainstream lines RCI is consistently highest, which I also just found by doing a quickie search using the parameters you included in your other posts. Carnival does have some great rates out of Miami during those months, though -- some as low as $379 per person for an inside cabin on a 7 day cruise. NCL wasn't too far above that, however, on the beautiful Pearl, and the promotions offered included a good bit of OBC.

[Cruise_More_Often]

Also when comparing, make sure to get the absolute bottom line, all fees and costs included, from all cruiselines, so you'll know you're really comparing apples to apples. Some quotes stop short of the additional port fees, etc. when producing that first price you see.

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

Carnival and Royal Caribbean have uniform pricing......all sources have to quote the exact same price. NCL does not require that. Thus, some sources may have lower prices than others. Also, it has been my experience that NCL's website (and call-in number) has higher prices than travel agents. They encourage travel agent use.

 

I agree with others on here....NCL prices are typically lower than competitors on similar routes.

 

BobK/Orlando

[travel_lover]

I was like a week ago at prices for Caribbean out of Miami RCCL was completely higher than NCL....Carnival is cheaper but keep in mind that base price you see with Carnival is USUALLY for upper/lower bunk bed cabins...we had to pay $100 more than a base price just to get two beds that can be pushed together with Carnival.

 

I think NCLs prices are great.

[Lovely_Star]

This will be our first time with NCL. I have researched all of the major lines when shopping for this years cruise. I can see NCL being more expensive than Carnival, that's a given but I have not found it to be more expensive than RCL. In fact the price we received was the very best that is why we decided to book with NCL this year, besides the fact that we wanted to try a different line. There is a similar cruise with RCL on the EOS but it is a shorter cruise and about $100 more pp. While we do want to try RCL eventually in these times it is hard not to go with the better deal. I am however concerned with getting nickel and dimed once we get on the ship with all of the extra optional and additional charges associated with "freestyling".

[horsesrus]

We love NCL and are looking to book our next cruise to the Caribbean. On our last NCL cruise we did the program where we pre-paid our next cruise's deposit. We also have our $500 cruise reward certificate we need to use. So we have to book NCL, but still want the best price as possible. As I am looking at all the Caribbean cruises, NCL is at least $200 per person higher than Carnival, RCL, etc. I am just wondering why? We have gone on many cruises and always try to get the best deal as possible, but NCL might be forcing us to leave them :(.

 

In my recent experience NCL's prices are way lower then RCCL, at least on their 12 Baltic sailing in May. We just cancelled our booking with RCCL and changed to NCL. NCL's price for a comparable cabin was $1200 less per person on the day we changed our booking! We just made the change this week.